Summary

Ukraine is hesitating to sign a U.S.-backed deal that would grant American companies access to 50% of its rare earth minerals in exchange for continued military support.

President Zelenskyy cited legal concerns and the lack of security guarantees.

The deal, pushed by Trump allies, aims to showcase Ukraine’s value to U.S. interests while reducing reliance on Chinese minerals.

However, Kyiv’s 2021 strategic partnership with the EU complicates negotiations, as European leaders resist surrendering shared resources to Washington. Talks remain ongoing.

  • ShepherdPie
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    4 days ago

    The US already abandoned their promise to protect Ukraine from a Russian invasion after they agreed to give up their nuclear arsenal, so I can’t imagine why they would trust us this time especially with a nutjob like Trump at the helm.

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      The US promised they would not invade Ukraine, but they never promised they would protect Ukraine.

      • ShepherdPie
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        4 days ago

        The US promised to aid Ukraine should they ever be invaded after giving up their nuclear arms. Go read the Budapest Memorandum, specifically section 4.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          Section 4:

          The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and The United States of America reaffirm their commitment to seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine, as a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used

          The US promised to seek action from the UN Security Council if Ukraine suffered or was threatened with nuclear attack.

          Ukraine hasn’t suffered a nuclear attack. Even so, the US did seek action from the Security Council, but it was predictably vetoed by Russia.

          • barsoap@lemm.ee
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            4 days ago

            Commas. “object of act of aggression” and “object of threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used” are two different, independent, conditions.

            And btw China seems to be enforcing the latter. They independently gave Ukraine nuclear guarantees, just shy of calling it a nuclear umbrella, and there has been a suspicious absence of nuclear threats against Ukraine while there’s no shortage of Russian threats against NATO.

            • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              There are no commas in the text. And even under your interpretation, the US is only obligated to seek action by the UN Security Council. They have done so.

          • rosco385@lemm.ee
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            4 days ago

            American promises aren’t worth shit. Just ask the Native Americans, the Kurds, and probably a bunch more countries.